John Myers
Coconut milk is available in cans and tetra packs of varying consistencies. Thick coconut milk is usually the so-called “first” milk, while thin coconut milk is the “second” milk of the coconut. Both varieties differ in their production process and in their fat content.
The thick, full-bodied coconut milk of the first choice is particularly good for cooking – and therefore also as the basis for our coconut milk recipes. It is made by separating, washing, pureeing, or grating and squeezing the white flesh of the coconut from the shell of the nut, sometimes adding water. The so-called second milk is made from coconut flakes that remain after this process. To do this, hot water is added to the flakes, and the resulting mixture is pressed out again. This is how you get the second coconut milk, which is much thinner and contains less fat.
The fat content of first-choice coconut milk is 15 to 25 percent, depending on the amount of water added. These are mainly the less favorable saturated fatty acids. However, coconut milk contains no cholesterol and has a lower fat content compared to cream and crème fraîche. In the second-choice coconut milk, the fat content is also reduced by about half compared to the conventional variant. Anyone who drinks coconut milk regularly should opt for the thinner and lower-fat version. However, it is rare to find it in stores. Alternatively, the first milk can also be diluted with water.
Coconut milk should not be confused with so-called coconut water. While coconut milk is always obtained from the flesh of coconut milk, coconut water is the liquid that can be found directly in the still unripe green coconut.
